We had a wonderful time in Greece, looks like we got out just in time though. They have had a couple of horrible storms where they had to shut down all of the ferries; parts of Athens was flooding and some of the Peloponnese islands are getting hit really hard. I guess my ferry ride into Mykonos harbor pales in comparison to what they are experiencing now. Though at the time it was a new experience for me trying to get into the hull of the ship to get ready to disembark being tossed around like a rag doll due to high winds and rough seas. Looks like we had it easy!

Last week I shared some of the food we had eaten on our journey. Bare with me for another week of Greek food I even made some this week at home and shared it with my son and in-laws. Sorry this one might be a little wordy too.

We rented a car for the day on the island of Mykonos no sure my husband was thrilled with this idea; especially since he was driving; but I wanted to and they say if you are going to rent a car, ATV, or side by side; this is the island to do it as there is less traffic that some of the other ones. My husband might disagree a bit with this. The roads are narrow, the traffic was less but the uneven stone walls leaning in make for a scary ride at times. We did get a little too close to some bushes while a bus was coming at us. Thankfully no damage. Sorry back to food – I read about a few restaurants that you Must Visit while here. We came a across one of them and decided to check it out for dinner; after we handed in the car; no one wants to or should drive there at night especially after a glass of wine or two.

Our dinner at Bill and Coo was the most expensive meal we had but what an experience in fine cuisine. I’ll share the photos of what we had but I couldn’t begin to tell you how to make any of it. There are several high end restaurants that might break the bank but you can also eat on a dime and still enjoy some great tasting food and have a wonderful experience. After having several gyros on the islands and mainland my husband asked “why are these not more popular back home?” I’m sure they are somewhere in the states, just not anywhere near us.

Enjoy some Bill and Coo food porn!

The night before we were leaving I wanted to bring back 2 things from Greece. I loved their Pistachios and their pita bread. I found a shop for the nuts but had to ask one of the bellhops at our hotel where a grocery store was so I could get some pita to take home. He tried not to laugh at me but found it hard while saying “um don’t you have pita bread back home?” I get it, of course we do but I have never come across thick ones that wasn’t a pocket; if that makes any sense? for 1.5 euros I packed a 10 pack of pitas in my luggage.

Here is my first attempt at making a chicken Gyro – it won’t be my last; everyone loved them!

Souvlaki is marinated meat skewer which you then take the cooked meat along with some other ingredients; roll everything up in a grilled pita and you got yourself a Gyro

Souvlaki dry rub for marinade – combine all the below in an airtight container

2 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper

Take 1 tablespoon of the above mixture and combine it with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoon olive oil. Cube up your chicken, pork or lamb and add to a ziploc bag along with the marinade. Make sure all pieces are covered and let sit up to 24 hours.
I made mine in the morning and had it ready for dinner that night.

I didn’t skewer them or cook them over the grill only because it was getting dark out and I didn’t want to 🙂 I did grill my Greek pita over an open flame on my stove top. You can eat this as a deconstructed gyro but I think you need to try it as I made it at least once.

Tzaziki
1 medium Cucumber – grated and drained
1/2 cup Greek yogurt – plain
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice – fresh is best
1 -2 garlic cloves – minced
2 teaspoons dill or mint – fresh
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Grate unpeeled cucumber seeds and all. squeeze out as much of its liquid that you can.
add all the ingredients together. Let it sit for 10 minutes to let it meld. Adjust the ingredients above to your taste. It should last about 4 days in the fridge, that is if you have any leftover. Before serving drizzle a little olive oil on top.

Gyros
Meat – marinated and cooked
Pita
potatoes – french fries
tomato – chopped
red onion – sliced thinly
Tzaziki

Grill the pita bread, layer the rest of the ingredients, top with fries and tzaziki – roll and enjoy!